| One last day of pseudo-freedom |
[22 Nov 2009|10:26am] |
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mood |
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 contemplative |
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music |
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Scherzo - Background |
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Popped open a jar of the Hungarian wax peppers I pickled at the end of September. They are sweet, thanks to the cider vinegar, and remarkably flavorful. The peppers themselves were great, anyhow, but the garlic, salt, and oregano really adds something. I sense the possibility of a pickled pepper eating contest at work this week.
Tomorrow begins a week of stressful, fast-paced, surprisingly fun times. Monday and Tuesday, I have to be at work at 3am, with me having to get the tires replaced on the car tomorrow night, and possibly trying to catch a screening of Thankskilling at the Union Tuesday night. Wednesday, I'm at work at 5am, but we head to Cape Girardeau that evening. We're there for Thursday, coming back sometime on Friday, because I have to be at work bright and early Saturday morning.
Today, I've managed to get a head start on writing for the week. Hopefully, I'll be able to be somewhat productive, blogwise. I make no promises, however. Things have a tendency to go awry during the holidays. At noon, I'm going to check out Motion City Soundtrack at Love Garden. They're playing there at noon. If I didn't have to worry about getting up so early tomorrow, I'd catch them again when they play Blue Collar at 7pm. Both shows are FREE, too.
I've also got to do some prep work at the bakery this afternoon, which is where I'll be heading after the show at Love Garden. Hopefully, I'll be able to come home and decompress for a little while before having to crawl into bed.
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| So that's what that was |
[19 Nov 2009|03:39pm] |
Huh. Well. I think I came within a hair's breadth of having a complete and total emotional breakdown today. And didn't. How 'bout that? Didn't scream, didn't yell, didn't punch the ever-loving hell out of anything...this must be maturity.
Still mad as hell that my mailbox key stopped working all a sudden, however. That's unbelievable.
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| This better be worth the money |
[18 Nov 2009|05:10pm] |
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mood |
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 uncomfortable |
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music |
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Dan Deacon - Woody Woodpecker |
] |
Crap. Just realized that I have to go down to the Replay tonight to shoot the Rooftop Vigilantes for the feature I'm doing on them for the Pitch.
The feature is doing all right. It's been something like seven years since I last did one, when I was still writing for RockKansas. There's a bit of an awkward transition from college papers and blogging to writing a newspaper piece. Real, honest-to-God print journalism!
Thank God for coffee. And the fact that I don't have to stick around for the whole show. I just show up, gather the band, find somewhere decently lit, and knock off some shots.
Before that, however, I have to work my way through a high school football awards banquet. There will be food, and I don't necessarily have to pay attention. I must remember that I'm there to support my kid. I am also supporting not having to cook dinner and an excuse to dress sharp for the evening.
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| No shows |
[15 Nov 2009|06:05pm] |
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mood |
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 anxious |
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music |
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CPU fan |
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Looking ahead at this week's calendar, it appears that while we are busy (football banquet, art show, benefit wine and cheese party), I will not be attending any concerts.
Thank God. Seriously, as much as I love getting paid to see shows, sometimes the shows are just so boring (like the fiasco regarding Friday's Jackpot show) that even going to a concert just becomes a fucking job that you have to slog through to make a few bucks.
I will probably end up going to both nights of Farmer's Ball, but more to hang out with KJHK types and enjoy myself before the holidays get kicking next week. I know I'm trying to make money (looks like a cool $100 off eBay), but I won't be able to do anything with it if I drop dead from exhaustion.
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| Working to drop some cash |
[14 Nov 2009|01:00pm] |
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mood |
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 technical |
] |
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music |
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Dance Hall Crashers - Nuisance |
] |
I've been taking on a LOT of extra work at the Pitch. Two or three concert reviews a week, and as many CD reviews, calendar entries, and band profiles as they'll give me. I got assigned my first feature this week, and it's due on Wednesday. Short notice, and the band is out of town, so I'll have to try and contact them via phone tomorrow. This should be fun.
On the bright side, I'm also shooting the band for the feature, so I'll get paid for the shot and the feature. Nice, eh?
I'm learning more photo stuff as I go along. I'm not a full-on, capital "P" photographer. I'm a writer who happens to shoot photos for his reviews. I'm a hobbyist, and not much of one at that. The tattoo doesn't say rock star photographer, it says journalist. It seems to irk the ever-loving hell out of people that I've been published and paid for pictures.
Sorry, I just know people, and can take a decent enough shot. I'm teaching myself, and slowly but surely increasing my skill set. My camera isn't professional, but it takes nicer shots than a point and shoot, which is what I want. Eventually, I'll be able to get a decent 1.4 50mm lens, so I can shoot better in low-light, but I'll muddle along for the moment. Speaking of which, if anyone wants to get me this for Christmas, I won't say no.
In other news, I've learned that the old 3.1 Kodak point and shoot takes better video than the new 8.2. The battery life is for shit, but the optics are better, and the low-light shots look better. In daylight, the new one owns, but if I'm going to shoot any more shows, like I did last night, I'm taking big, bulky, and ugly. You put your thumb over the microphone, and you can shoot from ten feet away.
Live and learn. Tonight's Brendan Benson show should yield better results, I think.
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| Changing it up |
[13 Nov 2009|06:12pm] |
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mood |
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 annoyed |
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music |
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Iron Man |
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So, because the headliner I was going to review (that being the King Khan & BBQ Show) canceled their show at the Jackpot tonight, I am no longer doing a straight review. Mainly, because it seems that their tour manager was arrested in Kentucky.
I'll interview their tour support, Those Darlins...despite the fact that their album is pretty dull, and all they have going for them is the fact that they're ridiculously cute. They're like the Vivian Girls, but without anything that makes them interesting (and even the Vivian Girls are pretty dull live).
In the meantime, I've got to find something to do.
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| Damned holidays |
[12 Nov 2009|05:28pm] |
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mood |
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 forgetful |
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music |
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Sick Sick Birds - Up At Night |
] |
No, I'm not ranting against Veteran's Day (facts: originally known as Armistice Day, and called Remembrance Day in the UK), but me forgetting that a holiday fell in the middle of the week.
It's such a rare occurrence that it's tripped me up ridiculously this week. It's mainly follies of a financial nature: i.e., we forgot to get change at work on Tuesday, so I had to hit up Dirty Dillon's yesterday morning and beg the guy at the customer service desk to break a $100 bill.
Also, that means that my freelance check won't show up until tomorrow. Oops. Sucktastic. Granted, there's money in the bank, but I'd been sticking around the house waiting for the mail to show up, so I could get my check in the ATM by 5pm, thus allowing it to clear tomorrow morning. In that time, I could've been taking a walk and enjoying the weather before the sun went down and the temp dropped.
Of course, we all know that had I taken that walk, the check would've shown up at 4:30, and been waiting in the mailbox when I got home.
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| A ploy for more money |
[09 Nov 2009|06:41pm] |
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mood |
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condescending |
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music |
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the Unseen - Paint It, Black |
] |
I've got 78 things up on eBay right now.
You might notice there's no link to anything. Yeah. eBay's willing to charge me money to list everything, but god forbid they update their indexes. Thus, all the stuff I listed hours ago is sitting, unsearchable and unbid. Assholes. The only good thing is that they've finally fixed TurboLister, so it only took me three hours to get everything done, as opposed to the twelve it would've otherwise.
Seriously - some of this stuff's been sitting on a shelf for months, waiting to get listed.
Hopefully, I'll make a few bucks for Christmas, and get the basement cleared out. Whatever doesn't sell in the toy department goes to Toys For Tots, and whatever I can't sell that I don't like goes to the Social Service League. I'm going to do something decent that benefits places I support, rather than making a move for even more cash.
If everything goes all right, then I'll make another pass through the records and clear things out a little more. There's a few things that I've bought here and there for cheap, just because they were a dollar or so, and since I've finished college and no longer have my radio show, their appeal seems to have passed.
Enough ranting. I managed to get a goodly amount of writing done today, took a walk, and did get this stuff listed, which was my goal. I'll be happy with what I accomplished, and end my day sprawled out on the bed watching Law & Order, since I have to return to the grind tomorrow.
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| That's bargains |
[07 Nov 2009|02:23pm] |
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mood |
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drained |
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music |
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Los Straightjackets |
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We spent just under $50 at the Love Garden sale yesterday, netting us stuff that would've otherwise cost us $452. Not a bad savings, really.
Since we've accumulated a bunch of new music, I've gone through and cleaned out my records. I plan on selling whatever I can via the Pop Punk Message Bored, and whatever doesn't go through there this weekend goes on eBay come Monday.
I've also listed some stuff on Craigslist. Hopefully, somebody will take all these damned trading cards that just keep taking up basement shelf space and accumulating dust. There's some toys I'm putting on eBay, too.
It's just so cluttered down here, and I'd rather have records I like than stuff I just randomly grabbed for a quarter or so, only to realize they kinda suck. There's no really reason to have a lot of this stuff, other than nostalgia. And, frankly, I'd rather have books and records I want and like.
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| Just a few things before I'm done |
[06 Nov 2009|09:17am] |
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mood |
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awake |
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music |
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the Shitty Limits - Your Limits Are My Limits |
] |
Happy birthday to ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) brimers_toy. Young'un.
I managed to get all my writing done for today, thanks to the Rockabilly Classics Vol. 2 and Let's Have A Party compilations, as well as the Shitty Limits' Beware the Limits. My turntable has been a rocking affair since I discovered that it wasn't at fault, but the phono switch on my receiver. No more dropped left channel! Hoorah!
the_lucky_nun and I are both off work today, and Dom's out of school, so we're going to run a bunch of errands this morning, picking up stuff, dropping off stuff, and the like. Love Garden's having a big-ass sale at the old location. Starting at noon, and running until 8pm, everything is $1. Records, CDs, posters, magazines - EVERYTHING. We're gonna try and get there around 11:30.
Afterward, because the wife and child will be indulging my music-buying whims, we're going to Dempsey's for lunch. I've craved a buger all week, and because I've eaten enough veggies this week (squash of some variety every goddamn day, to say nothing of carrots), I'm okay to scarf down a huge burger with duck fat fries.
Oh, lord - they have a Mexican pork burger on special. Open-faced, with mole roja and prickly pear salsa. My digestive system weeps.
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| Finally |
[03 Nov 2009|02:24pm] |
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mood |
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contemplative |
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music |
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Small Brown Bike |
] |
Stupid story ideas keep popping into my head. I've been trying to get out of the hosue for the better part of an hour, but I keep getting distracted.
"Well, I should type that up while it's fresh in my mind."
"I should let these podcasts download and reload my iPod before I go on a walk."
"Oh, I need to e-mail so-and-so."
That's all done, and it is now time to enjoy this extra couple of hours of free time I've carved out for myself. Plus, y'know...I probably ought to walk off all these tacos I had for lunch. I feel overly full.
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| It gets better later this week |
[02 Nov 2009|05:32pm] |
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mood |
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busy |
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music |
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Dom humming |
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The only times I've ventured outside today have been to and from the car, and to get the mail.
To be fair, it was raining.
On the bright side, it looks like I get to see three nights of concerts this week. In a row, no less:
Wednesday - the Bouncing Souls at the Riot Room
Thursday - Old Crow Medicine Show at Liberty Hall (tentative)
Friday - Valient Thorr at the Jackpot.
Oh, and I not only am seeing those shows for free, they are paying me to see them. King Khan & BBQ Show next week, too. Life is gooooooood. Now, if I could just do something other than typing at a computer or making bread, things would be much better.
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| My plans for the holiday |
[31 Oct 2009|11:49am] |
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mood |
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 indifferent |
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music |
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Coverville podcast |
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A) Listen to podcasts that have built up while reading Brave New World (I read the Haunting of Hill House last night)
B) Watch KU game at 2:30pm.
C) Post-game, watch horror movies.
D) Have Tony take Dom trick-or-treating, so the_lucky_nun and I don't act like the monkey in Outbreak.
Movies I'll be watching (if they're not in the list, I've either watched them recently, or they're lent out):
April Fool's Day
The Vault of Horror
Drag Me to Hell
Halloween
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| Status update |
[31 Oct 2009|08:09am] |
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mood |
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annoyed |
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music |
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NPR's Weekend Edition |
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the_lucky_nun got sick. Then I got sick.
I missed work yesterday because I had a fever. Now I have a throat that feels like it's closing shut, and it's like I'm breathing with a weight on my chest. Have I also mentioned this means I've missed two days of work? What was going to be a badass check is now merely adequate.
On the bright side, the Houston Press re-ran a Critic's Choice I did on Michelle Shocked for the Pitch, so that was $20 I wasn't expecting this week. Granted, half of that went to Halloween candy - optimistically, I might add. It's entirely possible we won't be handing out candy, for fear of handing out the flu, as well.
And we're missing not one, but two parties. Swell. I finally get a Halloween free after years of having to deal with KJ, and now I'm gonna be stuck on the couch in my PJs. This ain't cool.
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| Work work work |
[29 Oct 2009|12:07pm] |
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mood |
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hungry |
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music |
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the Dirty Projectors |
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My day off (from the bakery) was spent writing.
Well, half of it, anyhow. I just spent three hours doing this list of Halloween shows. Despite sending out reminders, and asking people to ask people about shows, I'm sure there will be five comments by the end of the day from people asking, "Well, what about [Show X]? How'd you forget them?"
I didn't include them because they weren't promoted anywhere, nobody sent an e-mail to me or Harper, and you don't have a regularly updated website or MySpace. So, suck on that.
All I've had to eat today has been a handful of shredded wheat, which was preceded by more coffee and sugar than should be dumped on an empty stomach. So, now that I am (mostly) done being productive for the day, I'm going to take a lengthy lunch break and do some reading - reading for enjoyment. I'm grabbing the Andre the Giant biography and leaving the book about Jewish-American songwriters at home, thank you very much. No work will intrude into my off time.
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| Thank you, Internets |
[26 Oct 2009|12:21pm] |
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mood |
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cheerful |
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music |
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Zombieland |
] |
Bootleg episodes of Dr. Demento from Soulseek, bootleg movies on the DVD player, and a general sense of personal well-being due to a large number of rosemary crackers loaded with pepper-crusted dry salami and farmer cheese.
I could probably stand to be doing grocery shopping or getting some writing done instead of watching movies and fucking around on the Internet. But, hey - it's my fucking day off.
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| Back to old school |
[23 Oct 2009|05:42pm] |
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mood |
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amused |
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music |
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the Raybeats - Jack the Ripper |
] |
Thanks to the Love Garden close-out store, I've been adding all the little-known bands and comps from the KJHK stacks that I loved to my record collection for cheap.
Thanks to the regular Love Garden store, I've been acquiring more novelty music than is probably healthy for a married adult with children to own.
Someone find me some nice shelves for this stuff so I can get it out of my basement.
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| Were that I had some money |
[21 Oct 2009|06:08pm] |
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mood |
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anxious |
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music |
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thundering children on the stairs |
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If I could figure out a way to justify the extra expense, it'd be super fantastically nice to have a faster Internet connection. Right now, we're rocking the lowest tier Sunflower offers, because we are poor, and thus do not have to pay for our connection. We pay extra for more bandwidth (BitTorrent, Rapidshare, and Mediafire are cruel consumers), but our download speed is 714 kbps, and upload is 237 kbps, which is HALF of what the Bronze package offers.
Frankly, I'd just like to be able to download podcasts without making it nearly impossible for the_lucky_nun to check her e-mail.
Also...Hulu would be REALLY nice.
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| Beers are not good |
[19 Oct 2009|07:02pm] |
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mood |
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full |
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music |
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water in the pipes |
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Also not good: rye whiskey shots and Jaeger shots. I'm pretty sure throwing up twice and not being able to eat solid food until today was not worth the drunk I had on Saturday.
Lesson learned? I can have one beer, maybe two, and that is it.
In other news, I have been listening to an awful lot of good music, reading an awful lot of good books, and I've been ignoring the teevee something fierce as of late. We're a month behind on all the shows we watch, and it's not really causing any issues.
I figure we can always catch up when everything goes into reruns over the holidays. Thanks, BitTorrent!
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If you've ever wondered exactly how many records I have (